Max Weinberg, Smithereens to perform free Union County concert on Sept. 10

UNION COUNTY - Max Weinberg, drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, will be the headline performer at the free Union County Board of County Commissioners Fall Concert Sept. 10 at Oak Ridge Park in Clark that will also feature The Smithereens.

Ray Andersen's Bowie & Beyond will be the opening act for the concert that will run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the park, 136 Oak Ridge Road, Clark.

“We are proud to continue to offer residents free concerts right in our county park system,” Commissioner Chair Rebecca Williams said. “All residents are welcome to come and enjoy a night of great music.”

While admission is free, residents should bring their own blankets and lawn chairs for the show.

An American drummer and television personality, Weinberg is widely known as the longtime drummer for Springsteen's band, the bandleader on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, and the father of Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg.

Weinberg grew up in suburban New Jersey and began drumming at an early age. He got his big break in music in 1974 when he won an audition to become the drummer for Springsteen. In 2014, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band.

Founded in New Jersey in 1980, The Smithereens have been creating rock’n’roll music for 41 years and are credited with influencing generations of musicians, including Kurt Cobain.

Band members Jim Babjak on guitar, Dennis Diken on drums and Mike Mesaros on bass grew up together in Carteret and lead singer, the late Pat DiNizio, was from Scotch Plains. With the 2017 death of DiNizio, the surviving members have decided to persevere and carry on their shared musical legacy.

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The BOWIE & Beyond Tribute Show was an idea started by Ray Andersen in 2018. The show is a musical celebration of David Bowie’s songs, performing note-for-note versions with multiple lead vocalists and musicians playing as an ensemble. Some of the all-star musicians in this line up have toured or recorded with Meat Loaf, Bon Jovi’s Kings of Suburbia, 10,000 Maniacs, and other artists.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Max Weinberg, Smithereens to perform Union County concert Sept. 10